Correct order to install new control arms / lift?

Mine isn't stock either, I'm removing a 4" Fabtech lift and replacing it with the 2.5" OME lift.

Anyways, that sounds pretty much just how I was going to do it @bobthetj03. I did before on my old black Rubicon, but it's been long enough that I wanted to jog my memory and make sure I am doing things in the correct order.

I'm happy I bought the Savvy arms over the Rokmen arms. The Rokmen arms are nice, but being that the Savvy arms are all double adjustable, that makes adjustments super easy even with the vehicle on the ground. Even though you'll probably only ever need double adjustable uppers, it's nice to have this feature anyways.

I'd like to do the transfer case skid at the same time (tummy tuck), but supposedly it's going to take these yahoos 4 weeks to powder coat the skid plate since they are very busy (still haven't finished my bumper yet!). I have a 16.5" driveshaft from Tom Wood that is meant for the 2.5" lift with the tummy tuck. I wonder if I could put that driveshaft on with this 2.5" lift before installing the tummy tuck? Probably not, I'm guessing the slip joint on the driveshaft would be at the end of it's travel.
 
Two things:

1) Are you talking about the front pinion angle? That’s what I’m talking about.

2) The reason I was planning on doing the control arms first is because all of the control arms are double adjustable, meaning the lowers and the uppers. That’s one nice thing about the Savvy control arms. You can install them once and never have to remove them to adjust.

I was talking about the fronts but I am assuming you are going to do the rears first!

In my scenario I would do the control arms last and adjust them for what is necessary with the springs. You can put them in first but it won't matter because you are going to have to adjust them again with no starting point unless you adjust them the same as stock then re-adjust them after the new springs. It is your call really, but my way you only have to adjust them once. Your way would work too no doubt. Just a little more work in the end in my opinion.

And really you can stress and over think this up to the point where you are knees and assholes into suspension parts, then everything could change. Just remember we all do this at some point, and you are not inventing anything here. There is no wrong way to do it as long as the end results are the same.

No matter what, it is a lot of work, but in the end, once you are lifted and your tires are straight and your steering wheel is straight and you are driving and you think "I did this!" All of this pre-stress gets forgotten about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: techster82
I was talking about the fronts but I am assuming you are going to do the rears first!

In my scenario I would do the control arms last and adjust them for what is necessary with the springs. You can put them in first but it won't matter because you are going to have to adjust them again with no starting point unless you adjust them the same as stock then re-adjust them after the new springs. It is your call really, but my way you only have to adjust them once. Your way would work too no doubt. Just a little more work in the end in my opinion.

And really you can stress and over think this up to the point where you are knees and assholes into suspension parts, then everything could change. Just remember we all do this at some point, and you are not inventing anything here. There is no wrong way to do it as long as the end results are the same.

No matter what, it is a lot of work, but in the end, once you are lifted and your tires are straight and your steering wheel is straight and you are driving and you think "I did this!" All of this pre-stress gets forgotten about.

Yeah, I figured there was no "right" way to do this, as many different methods would yield the same result. The only reason I was thinking of doing the control arms first is because they're all double adjustable, so even once they're bolted in, I can easily adjust them, even with the vehicle on the ground.

This is one of those things I've done before, it's just been long enough that I'm refreshing my brain!
 
I forgot you had the Fabtech lift, but you get the jist. @ac_, If he waits to put the arms on last after the springs/shocks, how is he going to center the axles and adjust wheel base to maximize it, and check for TB clearances at full bump? Either way, he'll have to adjust the length again for pinion angles once the jeep is on the ground under its weight. Not trying to argue with you brah, just trying to understand your scenario.
 
If you are going to do the TT at the same time as the lift, how will you be addressing the rear shock clearances to the lower perches? My memory is fading in my old age. Did you install the BL already?
 
Yeah, I figured there was no "right" way to do this, as many different methods would yield the same result. The only reason I was thinking of doing the control arms first is because they're all double adjustable, so even once they're bolted in, I can easily adjust them, even with the vehicle on the ground.

This is one of those things I've done before, it's just been long enough that I'm refreshing my brain!
I get your point, but honestly with a two inch lift if you were to make them all stock size to start with you will only need to adjust teh bottoms in the front and uppsers in the rear.

But later in reading your posts, I noticed you all ready have a 4 inch lift and am going backwards, and so I am assuming you already have some kind of adjustable in there, so you really might not have a good beginning reference to start with anyway. It will be based on what the previous owner thought was good, and it may not be what you think so in any case I would still stand by my suggestion.

Although if you like my pinion angle at 6ish degrees, and you measure and it is at 6,f I would match the control arms to what they are now and then re-adjust them back to or close to 6 when finished.

your fist step should be to measure both pinion angles and ride height on all 4 corners and if you like it try and match that when you are 2 inches lower. That way you have a good point of reference, before you start adjusting things. Pick from the frame to the ground not the body. Well you can do the body if you want but definitely do the frame.

In my case my frame is perfectly level front to rear, but my fenders are slightly off. It looks like I have about a 3/4 rake when in fact my frame is perfectly level well closer than 3/4 anyway.

If you don't take measurements before you start, I believe you will be sad that you didn't when you end.
 
I forgot you had the Fabtech lift, but you get the jist. @ac_, If he waits to put the arms on last after the springs/shocks, how is he going to center the axles and adjust wheel base to maximize it, and check for TB clearances at full bump? Either way, he'll have to adjust the length again for pinion angles once the jeep is on the ground under its weight. Not trying to argue with you brah, just trying to understand your scenario.

In my scenario he will have the shock bottoms unbolted and the springs sitting in there then put the control arms on while it is sitting on the ground and adjust them close by getting the pinion angle where he wants it, Then lift it back up pull the front springs and cycle the suspension.. That is how I would do it, but I added you to the party for your expertise. So I am definitely not competing with your solid knowledge I am just giving my FWIW suggestions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobthetj03
I get your point, but honestly with a two inch lift if you were to make them all stock size to start with you will only need to adjust teh bottoms in the front and uppsers in the rear.

But later in reading your posts, I noticed you all ready have a 4 inch lift and am going backwards, and so I am assuming you already have some kind of adjustable in there, so you really might not have a good beginning reference to start with anyway. It will be based on what the previous owner thought was good, and it may not be what you think so in any case I would still stand by my suggestion.

Although if you like my pinion angle at 6ish degrees, and you measure and it is at 6,f I would match the control arms to what they are now and then re-adjust them back to or close to 6 when finished.

your fist step should be to measure both pinion angles and ride height on all 4 corners and if you like it try and match that when you are 2 inches lower. That way you have a good point of reference, before you start adjusting things. Pick from the frame to the ground not the body. Well you can do the body if you want but definitely do the frame.

In my case my frame is perfectly level front to rear, but my fenders are slightly off. It looks like I have about a 3/4 rake when in fact my frame is perfectly level well closer than 3/4 anyway.

If you don't take measurements before you start, I believe you will be sad that you didn't when you end.

I have a 4" lift and it has stock uppers front and rear with fixed length lowers (it's some sort of cheap kit). That being said, stock lowers are 15.75" if I remember correctly, and most of what I was reading suggested that going from stock height to 2.5" would only change the lowers to roughly 16" (a tiny bit less, something like 15.92"), so I'll probably start by adjusting the lowers to 16" and seeing where that puts me.

Truth be told, I could have gotten by with some stock lowers, but with the tummy tuck I knew I'd need adjustable uppers, and I figured why not just replace them all with some Savvy arms, since that will give em more adjustability if I ever need it, and I'll have Johnny Joints all around, which who can complain about that.

I'm over analyzing this, I know it. Going to 2.5" isn't going to change the control arm lengths that drastically over what they would be with the stock arms. It's only once I add the tummy tuck that it's going to alter the angles more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ac_ and bobthetj03
@ac_, I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, just trial and error after installing a few lifts. so either scenario will get the job done in the end.